So after Greater Middlesex Conference White Division champ Colonia took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on Friday afternoon in the NJSIAA North 2 Group III final, a fan walked through the third-seeded Pioneers bench area and reminded the players that, "Nobody said it was gonna be easy."

Somerville (18-5) heeded the words and rallied for a 9-6 win over the fourth-seeded Patriots (20-8) for the sectional title. Junior right hander Bobby Wortman played a big role with five innings of strong relief. Wortman was also the place kicker for Somerville’s footblal team, which won the Central Group III title in the fall.

Somerville will play North I Group III champion Roxbury at 4 p.m. on Tuesday at Kean University. Senior lefty ace Thomas Babalis will likely get the start.

"I was expecting Wortman to come out and just grind and do whatever he had to do," Somerville junior catcher Vincent Mele said. "His stuff was great today and he’s the reason we won because of what he did on the mound. He made an impact as soon as he came out and he just stayed with it the next how many innings to finish off the game. Once he got out there he wasn’t coming out no matter how tired he was."

Colonia closed to 6-5 in the sixth on senior pinch hitter Nick Michael’s RBI single and an infield error. But Somerville scored three runs in the bottom of the inning. Mele led off with a double that led to back-to-back bases-loaded walks.

"This team has worked so hard, it was extremely important for us," Mele said. "We knew we were going to win something, this team is too good."

Colonia coach Mike Scialfo said the Patriots needed to add on, something they didn’t do until their two-out, two-run rally in the sixth cut the Somerville lead to 6-5.

"With a team like (Somerville), we knew we had to extend (the lead) and we went a little cold there and their pitcher started to throw strikes," Scialfo said. "We didn’t get anything in that tough stretch in the middle of the game, but I was proud of how our players battled. We knew (Somerville would) scratch and claw all day and find a way to keep pushing back, they got a few more hits and bounces than we did."

Mele’s two-run double in a five-run third inning was a centerpiece. Dan Belford had an RBI-single in the inning and Joe Brong followed him with an RBI-double for a 6-3 lead.

Frank Lehmann led off the game for Colonia with a double. Nick Nielson singled and Anthony Palmisano was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Anthony Demeo’s sac fly drove in Lehmann and Chris Michael and Jason Hilenski followed with RBI hits to make it 3-0.

Somerville loaded the bases in its half of the first, but a 5-2-3 double-play ended the threat.

The Pioneers got on the board in the second innings on Dante Bozzuti's RBI-single. The Patriots threw a base runner out at the plate, but the momentum was on Somerville’s side – for awhile.

"Our kids battled with the at bats, the last two games we have really done a nice job offensively not striking out, putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the other team," Banos said.

NOTES: Somerville lost to Northern Burlington in the Central Group III final in 2015 and to Cranford in the North 2 Group III final in 2016. Last season the Pioneers were the second seed, but fell to No. 15 Red Bank in the opening round.